The present disclosure relates to an information processing device provided with a touch panel function, and an information processing method.
As a touch panel input system, there are known a handwriting input system (a drag method) in which a user handwrites on an input screen for input, and a soft key input system (a click method) in which a user touches a soft key displayed on an input screen for input. In the case of handwriting input, a CPU acquires a depressing coordinate in a touch panel coordinate system at a predetermined time interval, and recognizes an inputted character or the like based on a trajectory along which the depressing coordinate has moved. In this system, if the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired is unduly long, the number of acquired depressing coordinates may be insufficient, which may lead to misrecognition of the trajectory i.e. misrecognition of a character or the like. In view of this, in the case of handwriting input, it is required to shorten a time interval at which the CPU acquires a depressing coordinate. This may shorten a time when the CPU is operable to perform other processing during a depressing coordinate acquisition period, which may lead to a delay in performing other processing. In the specification, the depressing coordinate represents a position on a touch panel touched by the fingertip of a user, the tip of a touch panel pen, or the like.
On the other hand, in the case of soft key input using a soft key e.g. an icon, it is sufficient only to acquire a depressing coordinate by the CPU at a point of time when the user has started depressing a soft key, and it is not necessary to acquire a depressing coordinate thereafter. Therefore, it is possible to extend the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired.
If the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired by the CPU is short, the time when the CPU is operable to perform other processing during a depressing coordinate acquisition period is short. On the other hand, if the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired by the CPU is long, it is possible to extend the time when the CPU is operable to perform other processing during a depressing coordinate acquisition period. Since the CPU is required to perform various processings other than depressing coordinate acquisition, it is preferable to extend the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired as long as possible for efficient use of the CPU.
In view of the above, there has been proposed an arrangement, wherein the input mode is switchable by user's manipulation between a select input mode according to which the user is allowed to select an icon for input, and a pen input mode; the time interval at which the CPU acquires a depressing coordinate is extended in the select input mode; and the time interval at which the CPU acquires a depressing coordinate is shortened in the pen input mode. In the above arrangement, when the select input mode is selected, the time when the CPU is operable to perform other processing can be extended.
In the above arrangement, the user is required to manipulate the touch panel for selecting between the select input mode and the pen input mode, which is cumbersome to the user. Further, when the pen input mode is selected, the time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired is short. Consequently, the time when the CPU is operable to perform processings other than depressing coordinate acquisition during a pen input period is short.
In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing device and an information processing method that enable to extend a time interval at which a depressing coordinate is acquired both in the case of handwriting input and in the case of soft key input, without the need of user's switching the input mode between handwriting input and soft key input.